Faculty and Staff
Albert Hosmer Bowker, of Portola Valley, January 20, at 88, of pancreatic cancer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from MIT in 1941 and completed a PhD in statistics from Columbia U. in 1949. He taught at MIT and Columbia before coming to Stanford in 1947, where he served as chair of the statistics department from 1948 to 1959. He was chancellor of the City U. of New York from 1963 to 1971 and then chancellor at UC-Berkeley from 1971 to 1980. After leaving Berkeley, he was assistant secretary for postsecondary education at the U.S. Department of Education and then was dean of the School of Public Affairs at the U. of Maryland. He was executive vice president of the U. of Maryland from 1984 to 1986 before serving as vice president for planning at CUNY’s research foundation from 1986 to 1993. His second wife, Rosedith Sitgreaves, predeceased him. Survivors: one son, Paul; two daughters, Caroline and Nancy; and five grandchildren.
George M. Fredrickson, of Stanford, February 25, at 73, of heart failure. He was the Edgar E. Robinson Professor of United States History, emeritus. A driving force in reshaping historical views of the Civil War and race relations in the United States, he helped invent the field of comparative history through his work White Supremacy: A Comparative Study of American and South African History. The book, one of his many seminal works, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard in 1956 and completed his doctorate there in 1964. He taught at Harvard and Northwestern before coming to Stanford in 1984. In 2000, he received Stanford’s Allan V. Cox Medal for Faculty Excellence Fostering Undergraduate Research. He was past president of the Organization of American Historians and received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Humanities Center and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. A collection of his essays from scholarly journals and the New York Review of Books, titled Diverse Nations: Explorations in the History of Racial and Ethnic Pluralism, will be published in June. More information on Fredrickson appears in the Farm Report section of this magazine. Survivors: his wife, Hélène; three daughters, Anne, Laurel and Caroline; one son, Thomas; four grandchildren; and a sister.
Samuel Karlin, of Palo Alto, December 18, at 83, of a heart attack. He was professor emeritus of math whose pursuits included a significant contribution to DNA analysis. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and his doctorate in mathematics from Princeton in 1947. After a stint at the California Institute of Technology, he came to Stanford as professor of mathematics and statistics in 1956. Intentionally changing his major line of research every seven years to stay fresh and learn new topics, he contributed to game theory, mathematical statistics, probability and random processes, population genetics and other areas. He was a pioneer in the application of mathematics and statistical models to problems in biological sequence analysis, working in that field for the past 20 years. He wrote many papers on bioinformatics, including a series with Stephen Altschul laying out the statistical foundation for BLAST, the most frequently used piece of software in computational biology. Researchers use the software to attempt to learn the function of a new DNA sequence from an organism of interest. He authored or coauthored 10 books and more than 450 published papers, and won numerous awards and honors, including membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1989. He advised more than 70 graduate students at Stanford. Survivors: his wife, Dorit Carmelli; two sons, Kenneth and Manuel; one daughter, Anna, ’81, PhD ’87; one stepson, Zvi Carmelli; and nine grandchildren.
Harold Jack Leavitt, of Pasadena, Calif., December 8, at 85, of pulmonary fibrosis. He was professor emeritus of organizational behavior and psychology. His books helped shape the way organizational behavior is taught in business schools and its theories are implemented in the workplace. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard in 1943, and a master’s degree from Brown in 1944 and then spent two years in the Naval Reserve. In 1949, he earned a doctorate from MIT. In 1966, he became a professor at Stanford. He also served as director of the Stanford Executive Program. He retired in 1987. His textbooks included Managerial Psychology, which was later printed in 18 languages, Corporate Pathfinders and Top Down: Why Hierarchies are Here to Stay and How to Manage Them More Effectively. His wife, Gloria, died in 1985. Survivors: his wife, Jean Lipman-Blumen; two sons, John, ’75, and David; one daughter, Emily, ’75; three stepchildren, Lorna and Peter Blumen and Lesley Macherelli; nine grandchildren; and a sister.
Alan T. Waterman Jr., of Stanford, January 9, at 89, of pneumonia. He was professor emeritus of electrical engineering whose work on radio waves pushed him into the contentious Vietnam-era turmoil over military research on the Stanford campus. He earned bachelor’s degrees from the California Institute of Technology and from Princeton, and a PhD from Harvard in 1950, the same year he came to Stanford. His work in meteorology at the California Institute of Technology during World War II led him to research on radar and radio waves. His specialty was the study of how radio waves propogate through the atmosphere and are affected by turbulence and layers. In the late 1960s, he became a target of student protestors who objected to his research, citing military contracts for “electronic countermeasures” and other studies. He defended the contracts, saying that he was doing basic research with applications in many fields. He held leadership positions in the International Union of Radio Sciences and the Antennas and Propogation Group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In the 1960s he cofounded the Angell Field Ancients, a running club at Stanford that continues today. His wife of 54 years, Lori, died in 2001. Survivors: two daughters, Linda and Donna; two sons, Bruce and Alan Dane; 12 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; a sister; and a brother.
1930s
Keturah Schroeder Lipscomb, ’35 (history), of Chapel Hill, N.C., January 18, at 93. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority. She was an active volunteer, including serving as docent at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., for 20 years. Her husband, John, ’34, JD ’37, predeceased her. Survivors: one daughter, Mary “Kit” Flynn; four grandsons; nine great-grandchildren; and her companion, Ralph Cotter, ’35.
Carl Kurtz Bomberger, ’37 (social science/social thought), of Granite Bay, Calif., October 28. After graduating, he worked for the American Trust Company, which later became Wells Fargo. He served in the Army during World War II, rising to the rank of major and receiving the Bronze Star. Later, he became vice president and manager of Wells Fargo’s main Oakland office and was district manager of Oakland, Alameda and several other California East Bay cities’ branches. He belonged to many professional and recreational and civic organizations. His wife of 58 years, Edith, predeceased him. Survivors: one son, John; one daughter, Anne Guenard; two grandsons; and a sister, Ora Bomberger Wood, ’37.
Audrey Marie Brumfield Clock, ’38 (history), of San Francisco, December 5. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and earned a master’s degree in political science from the U. of Malaysia. She and her husband, Philip, spent 25 years with the Foreign Service. While abroad, she volunteered with local organizations for the education and betterment of young girls. After returning to the Bay Area, she spent 30 years volunteering with the California Pacific Medical Center’s Victorian House in San Francisco. A CPMC board member, she was honored by the organization for 36,000 hours of volunteer service. Philip, ’37, JD ’40, died in 1996 after 55 years of marriage. Survivors: two sons, Philip, ’69, MBA ’75, and Timothy, ’72; one daughter, Barbara Allen; and one grandson.
Marjorie Louise Segerstrom Coffill, ’38 (social science/social thought), MA ’41 (education), of Sonora, Calif., January 11, at 90. She worked as the social director of the women’s campus at Pomona College before joining the Red Cross during World War II. After, she worked for her father’s business, Sonora Abstract and Title Company. She was named Tuolomne County (Calif.) Citizen of the Year in 1987, Outstanding Citizen of the Year by the Tuolomne County Chamber of Commerce in 1974, Alumna of the Year by Sonora High School and was given the Women of Distinction Award by the Soroptimist Club of Sonora. In 1990, she was named to Columbia College’s Hall of Fame. She was a trustee of the Sonora High School District for six years and was active in numerous civic organizations. Her husband, William, died in 1989. Survivors: two sons, William and Eric; two grandchildren; and a sister, Christine Nietfeld, ’41.
1940s
Lawrence Livingston Jr., ’40 (history), of Tiburon, Calif., December 5, at 89. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He earned his law degree from Yale and a master’s in city planning from MIT. He became assistant planning director of Oakland, where he made the original proposal for creation of Jack London Square. For 40 years, he headed a San Francisco-based city and regional planning firm. In 1970, he led a study for the City of Palo Alto that demonstrated that the city would be better off if 5,000 acres of foothill land were preserved as open space. The study led to his preparing open space plans for Alameda, Santa Clara, and other California counties as well as other western cities. The American Planning Association awarded him the National Distinguished Leadership Award in 1987 in recognition of his accomplishments in planning for open space preservation. He was a member of many professional organizations. Survivors: two sons, Jonathan, MS ’87, and Mathew; one daughter, Eve Reeves; and two grandchildren.
Miriam “Mimi” LaFollette Summerskill, ’40 (English), of Belle Mead, N.J., January 31, at 90. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She hosted a radio show for NBC from Honolulu and, in the 1950s hosted several shows for KQED from San Francisco. With her husband, John, ’40, she founded LaFollete Vineyard and Winery in the 1970s. Her Seval Blanc wine won numerous awards and was served, among other places, at the White House and the National Gallery. During some years living in Greece, she was involved in the creation of the Athens College Theater. She founded and was president of InterALP of Princeton, an educational program that sent high school students abroad for work-study experience. The author of several books, including Daughter of the Vine, as well as magazine and newspaper articles. Her husband, John, predeceased her. Survivors: three sons, Richard, William and Robert LaFollette; two daughters, Helen Bodel and Wendy Wright; and eight grandchildren.
William Darsie Bowden, ’42 (economics), of Bainbridge Island, Wash., November 11, at 87, of natural causes. He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He served in the Army during World War II. After, he worked in retail business for Frederick & Nelson, and then became associated with William L. Davis Sons Company, a furniture, interior design and antique store. He became vice president and co-owner of the store, retiring when the store closed in 1984. For a decade, he was an interior design consultant and antique furniture appraiser. He was president of the Washington State chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and served several terms as a national director. In 1972, he was elected a Fellow of ASID. He was involved with other professional and recreational organizations, as well. Survivors: his wife of 58 years, Anne; three daughters, Darsie, Raleigh and Elisabeth; and five grandchildren.
Theodore A. Bravos, ’42 (political science), of Roseville, Calif., December 1, at 87. He was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. He served in the Air Force during World War II with a final rank of Colonel and a special Medal of Commendation. He worked in hospital administration, including as director and chief executive of Sonoma State Hospital, Atascadero State Hospital and Langley Porter Psychiatric Clinic in San Francisco, as well as two New York hospitals. He was a management consultant for hospital facilities in six states and was the primary administrator in facilitating the construction of three psychiatric hospitals. He worked as a faculty member at the State U. of New York, George Washington U. in Washington, D.C., and Golden Gate U. in San Francisco, and started the graduate-level health management program at Golden Gate U. He was president of three California Chambers of Commerce, in Sonoma, Atascadero and Rocklin, and he received California State recognition for his instrumental role in the creation of Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen, Calif. He was a director on the Roseville Community Health Foundation Board and served in leadership positions for many organizations. For Stanford, he worked on the Centennial Campaign, acted as president and board member of the Stanford Club of Sacramento, and helped to preserve the Leland Stanford House in Sacramento. He received numerous awards, including the A.P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship Award and National Mental Health Executive of the Year. In 1987 and 1992 he received the Governors’ Award from the Stanford Associates, and in 1992 he was awarded a 15-year service pin by the Stanford Alumni Association. Survivors: three sons, Ted Jr., Chris and Rick; one daughter, Diana; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his partner, Reggie Tarabek.
Dorothy Marie Meyn Ritscher, ’42, MS ’42 (social science/social thought), at 88. During World War II, she served as a pilot in the Women Air Force Service Pilots division of the Air Force. After the war, she earned a teaching credential and taught history and physical education. She was active in recreational and civic organizations. Her husband, Howie, predeceased her. Survivors: two daughters, Kathy Meleyco and Susan Smith; and one grandson.
Glenn Siemon, ’43 (pre-clinical medicine), MD ’46, of Bakersfield, Calif., March 11, 2007. He was a member of Delta Chi fraternity and served in the Navy from 1946 to 1947. He did his medical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., before opening an ophthalmology practice in Bakersfield with a partner in 1951. He continued in private practice for nearly 50 years. His wife, Isobel, died in 1983. His son Rob also predeceased him. Survivors: his wife of 20 years, Gaye; three daughters, Leslie, Sue and Jane; one son, Jeff, ’72; nine grandchildren, including Jeff Jr., ’96, MBA ’02; five great-grandchildren; and a brother.
William F. Hooper, ’44 (social science/social thought), of Santa Monica, Calif., December 28, at 87. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and a member of the 1942 national championship basketball team. He served in the Army during World War II, completing his service as a captain and earning numerous medals. At the outbreak of the Korean War, he was recalled to duty and served as ROTC instructor at Van Nuys, (Calif.) High School. After realizing the risks for students who played sports with no medical insurance, he launched Student Insurance, the first company to cater to injured athletes. Survivors include: his wife, Marie Martinelli-Hooper; three sons, Michael, Gary and Dominic; one daughter, Monique; and six grandchildren.
David William Hanson, ’45 (biological sciences), of Lakeside, Calif., December 2, at 89. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and earned a teaching credential from San Diego State U. He taught at elementary schools in Lakeside, Orange Glen and Ramona, Calif., as well as Alaska and Australia. He developed land bordering the Barona Indian Reservation and was active in civic organizations, including serving as a board member of the Tehama County Museum. Survivors: his wife of 65 years, Vivian (Marks Hanson, ’46); two daughters, Connie Mendoza and Cathy; two granddaughters; and a sister.
Beverlee Jean Adams Steele Daniell, ’46 (health education), of La Jolla, Calif., June 26, 2007, at 81, of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She was an elementary school teacher and wrote two children’s books. In 1987 she received a pin for five years of volunteer service to the Stanford Alumni Association. Two husbands, Merrill Steele, ’46, and John Daniell, predeceased her. Survivors: one daughter, Kathleen Rubenson, ’69; one son, William Steele; six grandchildren; and a sister, Patricia Compton, ’42, MA ’43.
John Joseph Mattimoe, ’47 (civil engineering), of Roseville, Calif., January 13, at 86. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He joined PG&E in 1947 and worked on hydroelectric projects on California’s Feather and Mokelumne rivers. He worked for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District for almost 30 years, serving as hydroelectric construction manager, manager of all construction and assistant chief engineer. As SMUD general manager and chief engineer, he was responsible for building much of the utility’s generating facilities, including the upper American River hydroelectric system and the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station in Clay Station, Calif. He was active in professional groups and served on the nuclear advisory board of the American National Standards Institute. Survivors include his wife, Patricia, and a son, Jim.
Henry David Thoreau Jr., ’47 (communication), of Palo Alto, December 29, at 84, of Alzheimer’s disease and a stroke. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and wrote for both the Daily and the Chaparral. As a real estate investor and early venture capitalist, he worked for Hale Bros. Associates and became president of the Western Business Assistance Corp. He was head of record keeping for the Pacific Coast Athletic Commission (precursor to the Pac-10 Conference) and general manager of the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif. In that role, he oversaw construction of a number of facilities used at the 1960 Games. Later that year, he worked for CBS as one of the track and field broadcasters at the Summer Olympics in Rome. He led the renovation of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the 1984 Olympic Games. In the capacity of co-commissioner of track events, he led the installment of a running track and runways for the pole vault, long jump and triple jump in the Coliseum. His wife, Margaret (Anderson, ’47), died in 1991. Survivors: his wife, Eleanore Wise Vayssie; two sons, David and Scott; and one daughter, Alison.
John J. Cashel Jr., ’48 (communication), of Lafayette, Calif., December 28, at 82. He served in the Marine Corps during and after World War II. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and a member of the basketball and rugby teams. He was also sports editor of the Daily. He served in the Marine Corps again during the Korean War, resigning his commission in 1955 with the rank of captain. He worked in public relations and communications with Kaiser Aluminum for 30 years. During that time, he also served as state chair of one of the country’s original recycling organizations. After retiring, he formed a public relations consulting firm, helped found a retirees advocacy association, and served on the board of the World Affairs Council of Northern California. He was a member of the Stanford Buck/Cardinal Club board, and was named to the Stanford Associates for his volunteer service. He was active in numerous civic organizations. Survivors: his wife, Guyla (Runyan, ’48); two daughters, Joan Pyne, ’76, and Susan Jenks, ’78; one son, James, ’83; six grandchildren; and a sister, Patricia Cashel Schmidt, ’44, MA ’46.
Davis R. Steelquist, ’48 (economics), of Shoreline, Wash., December 14, at 85. He served in the Army during World War II. After graduating, he worked for Pierce Freight Lines and Consolidated Freightways in Oregon and Montana. He later worked for Pacific Intermountain Express, leaving in 1962 to join Sea-Land Services, which was introducing large-scale containerized freight handling in the Pacific Northwest. In 1967, he moved to Seattle, where he helped expand Sea-Land’s sales operation. Later, he joined Olympic Steamship Corporation, an agency representing many of the world’s largest shipping lines. He served as vice president before retiring in 1984. His third wife, Margaret, predeceased him. Survivors: six sons, Davis Jr., Robert, Paul, Mark, Daniel, Timothy; five daughters, Carol Koller, Karna McKinney, Barbara Lester, Patricia Anderson, Kay Robertson; 25 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
Peter Jay Chrisler, ’49 (physical science), of Columbia Falls, Mont., December 4. He served in the Marine Corps for three years before returning to his hometown of Sacramento to work in the family insurance business. He taught math and computer science at Sacramento City College for 30 years. Later, he worked for Computer Sciences Corp. in Valley Forge, Pa., Boeing, and a group of scientists on the “Star Wars” Defense System authorized by President Reagan. At the age of 44, he earned his PhD in theoretical calculus. He published two textbooks on computer programming language. He also invented a circular slide rule he dubbed the Chrisler Calculator. Survivors: two sons, Peter and Mark; two granddaughters; and a sister.
Mitchell B. Finberg, ’49 (industrial engineering), of Placerville, Calif., October 17, at 81. He served in the Army and attended Oregon State U. and Texas A&M before graduating from Stanford. He retired in 1981 from the State of California after 30 years of service. His last position was as Department of Forestry senior civil engineer. After retiring, he became a licensed general contractor and then worked for the El Dorado Irrigation District. Survivors: his wife, Lydia; two daughters, Vickie Cox and Karen Weisstein; on son, Bradley; two stepsons, Tony and Franck Murillo; one stepdaughter, Karen Armstrong; two grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; and one brother.
Theodore H. Morrison, ’49 (undergraduate law), JD ’51, of Sacramento, November 12, at 80, after suffering a stroke and smoke inhalation while trying to flee a fire at his home. He served two years in the Army and was on the Stanford Law Review staff. He was a clerk for the California Supreme Court in San Francisco before practicing law for 40 years in Sacramento, specializing in workers’ compensation insurance. He was a partner at Ramsey Morrison, Wallis & Keddy when he retired in 1992. Survivors: his wife, Patricia; one daughter, Lynn; and one son, Robert.
1950s
Rupert Burke Andrews Jr., ’50 (political science), of San Diego, Calif., January 16, at 80. He was a member of the football team and track team, and a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He played football for the NFL’s Washington Redskins and for Canada’s Edmonton Eskimos.
Edward Thomas Delehanty, ’50 (economics), of Landrum, S.C., January 13, at 81. He worked at North American Aviation and then the California Institute of Technology. Later, he opening a tax accounting business, running it with his wife, Ellen, until his retirement. His first wife, Helen, died in 1968. Survivors: his wife of 30 years, Ellen; two daughters, Ann Bloom and Mary; three sons, William, Patrick and Kevin; and seven grandchildren.
William Louis Isham, ’50 (economics), of Gold River, Calif., November 18, at 81. He served in the Navy from 1944 until 1946. He worked in commercial banking with Wells Fargo for 27 years. In 1979, he became a senior executive for the Farm Credit System and remained there until his 1990 retirement. After, he was a financial consultant. He attended more than 50 Big Games. His wife, Joan (Pomeroy, ’52) died in August. Survivors: one daughter, Carol O’Neill; one son, John; and two grandchildren.
Sally Ann Beach Altick, ’51 (education), of Scotts Valley, Calif., November 16, at 78. She earned a master’s degree from San Jose State U. She was appointed to the California State Parks and Recreation Commission by Governor Ronald Reagan in 1970 and served as chair in 1975. She was a founding member of the Año Nuevo Interpretive Association and served as its first chair from 1979 to 1982. Survivors: two sons, Frank and Peter; seven grandchildren; and two sisters.
Patricia Mae Hegg Brown, ’51 (education), of Portola Valley, December 26, at 78. A community leader and active volunteer, she and her husband, Bob, ’48, MBA ’50, were involved with local government for more than 25 years and were influential in the development of the Portola Valley Library children’s section in 1969. She was president of the Friends of the Portola Valley Library from 1983 to 1989 and retired from the board in 1995. A storyteller and puppeteer who performed at local schools and libraries, she was a member of the Palo Alto Storytellers Guild. Bob died in 2005. Survivors: two sons, Loren and Brian; two daughters, Kristin and Susan; and five grandchildren.
Nancy Clark Burns, ’52 (education), of Carmel, Calif., January 20. She worked with her husband in advertising before helping to establish retail and broadcast/telecast marketing operations around the country. An active Stanford volunteer, she was awarded a Stanford Alumni Association five-year service pin in 1994. Survivors: her husband of 53 years, Dick, ’52; two daughters, Lisa, ’80, and Shelley; and one son, Richard.
Robert N. Blackburn, ’53 (history), of Pasadena, Calif., October 27, at 76. He was a member of Stanford’s 1953 NCAA championship golf team and a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He served in the Army before joining Coldwell Banker Real Estate Company. In 1973 he formed the Robert Blackburn Development Company specializing in neighborhood shopping centers. He became a master fly tier and Federation of Fly Fishers certified fly-casting instructor. Survivors: his wife of 51 years, Jeannie; two daughters, Bonnie Gundell and Caroline; three grandchildren; and a sister.
David Andrew Conrad, ’53 (mechanical engineering), MS ’54, PhD ’57 (applied mechanics), of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., November 12, at 76, of lung cancer. He was a member of Delta Chi fraternity and did post-doctoral work in Germany with a National Science Foundation fellowship. He worked in the aerospace industry for Bell Labs, Hughes Aircraft Co., and TRW. He spent 35 years with the Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, Calif. Upon retiring, he continued aerospace work part time. He was a member of several professional organizations. Survivors: his wife of 18 years, Diana; three daughters, Linda Jansen, Katy Daigle and Tracy; one son, David; and eight grandchildren.
Kirk Edward Evans, ’53 (economics), of Olympia, Wash., January 11, at 77. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and served in the Navy for three years. He earned his medical degree from the U. of Washington and completed his ob/gyn residency at the U. of Oregon. He practiced in Olympia for 40 years. Survivors: his wife, Judy; two sons, David and Daniel; two grandchildren.
Martha Ellen Hitch Galloway, ’53, MA ’54 (education), of Oxnard, Calif., November 17, at 76, of metastatic adrenal cancer. She was a high school teacher in the United States and overseas. Survivors: her husband of 52 years, Gordon, ’54; two daughters, Katherine Wise and Karen Clark; two sons, James and John; and 13 grandchildren.
John Evans Gessford, ’53, MS ’54, PhD ’57 (industrial engineering), of San Marino, Calif., December 13, at 76. He was a member of the men’s swimming team. In 1958, he started working for International Paper Company. Later, he was employed by Stanford Research Institute and became head of SRI’s Scandinavian operations. In 1973, he became professor at CSU-Los Angeles, where he developed and chaired the university’s first business information systems department. He later taught at Claremont Graduate School and wrote two textbooks. He retired from academia at CSU-Long Beach. He was involved in athletic and civic organizations. Survivors: his wife of 48 years, Susan, ’58; two daughters, Elizabeth Kennedy, ’83, and Louise Nixon; one son, John; seven grandchildren; and two brothers.
Eric Elsesser, ’55, MS ’56 (civil engineering), of Sausalito, Calif., December 6, at 74, of a brain tumor. He worked for John Blume in San Francisco before opening his own practice in 1960. In 1969 he and Nicholas Forell opened Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Inc. He worked in the advancement of seismic isolation and energy dissipating seismic systems. Among his projects were the San Francisco state office building and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as retrofits of historic landmarks like the Oakland and San Francisco city halls. He was active in professional organizations, including serving on the board of directors and as president of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California. He received the SEAONC 2002 H.J. Brunnier Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2001 was named a Fellow of the Structural Engineers Association of California. Survivors: his wife, Sylvia (Levin, ’55, MA ’56); one daughter, Linnea Weiss; one son, Adam, ’83; and six grandchildren.
Robert Martin Fisher, ’56 (economics), of San Francisco, December 28. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the baseball team. He served in the Army and achieved the rank of captain in the Army Reserve in 1962. He worked for Merrill Lynch. In 1973 he became the company’s youngest branch office manager, and in 1980 he became senior vice president and resident manager of the No. 1 Merrill Lynch retail office in San Francisco. During his tenure, the branch became the eighth largest in the firm. From 1985 until his 1991 retirement, he managed the San Francisco Peninsula branch offices. After, he was an arbitrator with the NASD. Survivors: his wife of 44 years, Kay; three sons, Robert Jr., William and Gregory; and four grandchildren.
Donovan S. Thayer, ’56 (economics), MBA ’60, of Tiburon, Calif., January 4, at 73, of cancer. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity and served in the Navy before earning his MBA. He established the lease underwriting group and the international group for U.S. Leasing. Later, he established the financial services group for Itel Corporation, financing commercial aircraft, rail cars and other large equipment. He was a founding partner of Thayer, Ringoen and MacDonald. He served as chair of the collector’s forum for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and in 1983 was awarded a Stanford Alumni Association five-year service pin for his volunteerism to the University. Survivors: his wife, Geri; one son, David; five stepsons, Richard and Thomas Magnuson, and Michael, Blake and Skip Lasky; one stepdaughter, Beth Anderson; 12 grandchildren; and a brother, Rufus, ’54.
James Arthur Roberts, ’55 (geography), of Sacramento, November 25, at 73, of a brain tumor. He was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and earned his PhD from UCLA. He was one of the architects of the California Environmental Quality Act, a nearly 40-year-old blueprint for developers to be mindful of effects on land and water. He worked on projects ranging from the Alaska pipeline to water usage from the south fork of the American River, to development in the city of Folsom, Calif., and counties of Placer and Sonoma, Calif. He helped write the guidelines for implementation of the CEQA law, which was enacted in 1970 and became a model for 14 other states. He taught environmental classes, consulted or helped craft environmental legislation in 18 U.S. counties and in Northern Europe. He helped to develop local economic programs for the Lakota Sioux Rosebud Indian reservation in South Dakota, and, with the Methodist church, began building relief depots in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Survivors: his wife, Sylvia; two daughters, Karen McElfish and Krista Taylor; one son, Jay; and six grandchildren.
Donald Theodore Lunde, ’58, MA ’64 (psychology), MD ’66, of Palm Springs, Calif., December 15, at 70, of cancer. He served in the Navy. He did his residency at Stanford before joining the faculty. In 1969 he was made a full professor of psychiatry in the medical school and remained there for 30 years. He taught additional classes at the law school and in the human biology program. He was part of the team that performed the first successful heart transplant in the 1960s and published the first paper on psychiatric complications of heart transplants. Author of the books Murder and Madness, The Die Song and Hearst to Hughes, Memoir of a Forensic Psychiatrist, he was best known to the public for his writing and testimony on the criminally insane. He was appointed by judges or retained by lawyers in many famous disputes, including the Patricia Hearst bank robbery trial; the trial of Dan White, killer of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk; and Peoples Temple and the Jonestown mass murder/suicides. In a departure from crime, he was called upon to evaluate Howard Hughes after his death in 1976. In 1977, he became professor emeritus. He co-founded the American College of Forensic Psychiatry and was made a distinguished life fellow of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law. Survivors: his wife, Marilynn (Krick, ’58); five sons, Montgomery, ’81, Christopher, Glenn, ’85, Evan and Bret; 13 grandchildren; two brothers; and a sister.
1960s
Carl Allin Cornell, ’60 (architecture), MS ’61, PhD ’64 (civil engineering), of Portola Valley, December 14, at 69, of cancer. He was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. He served on the faculty at MIT from 1966 until 1983, and then returned to Stanford as a research professor. His work with seismic hazards and seismic risks led him to advise the U.S. Geological Survey and write Probability, Statistics and Decision for Civil Engineers, with Jack Benjamin. The book, published in 1970, opened up new ways of thinking for a generation of civil and structural engineering students. He was a member of the national Academy of Engineering and was the 2003 recipient of the George W. Housner Medal, the highest honor from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Survivors: his wife, Elisabeth Paté-Cornell; three sons, Phillip, ’03, Robert, ’87, and Eric, ’85; two daughters, Joan Fazzio and Ariane, ’06; and two sisters.
Marilyn Jeanne Jensen Franklin, ’61 (psychology), MA ’62 (education), of Sacramento, January 14, at 68, of ovarian cancer. She spent 40 years with the Menlo Park City School District. After earning her master’s degree, she was hired by the district to teach fifth grade, and coordinated fourth- and fifth-grade programs and served as a counselor for special education students. She served as the district’s curriculum director and in 1985, was appointed interim principal at Oak Knoll. In 1986 she was made the permanent principal and served in that capacity until her retirement in 2002. Survivors: one son, Chaz; one daughter, Barbara Reyes; four grandsons; three brothers; and a sister.
Phillip Ruben Peoples, ’62 (electrical engineering), of El Paso, Texas, December 21, at 68. He was the first African American to attend Claremont Men’s College in 1957 before attending Stanford. He was active in several recreational organizations. His wife of 29 years, Peggy, died in 1997. Survivors: two stepdaughters, Gwen and Desiree Devine; one stepson, Joseph Devine; six sisters; and three brothers.
William Raymond Normark, ’65 (geology), of Sunnyvale, Calif., January 12, at 64, of kidney cancer. He worked for the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park. He studied offshore earthquakes, offshore minerals and giant landslides in the ocean. At the USGS, he made a number of original discoveries, including witnessing the first black-smoker hydrothermal vents ever seen as well as the first gas hydrate found in Southern California. The North Sea oil fields were found using the marine geology techniques he pioneered. He wrote more than 90 scientific articles and served on several editorial boards, including the journal Geology. He participated in more than 60 USGS research cruises, and served as chief scientist on half of those. Survivors: his wife, DJ; his mother, Edna; and a sister.
Katherine Patricia Leedy Tatum, ’66 (art), of Oso, Wash., December 30, at 63. She earned her master’s degree in teaching arts at Willamette U. in Salem, Ore., and worked as a teacher, tailor and gourmet cook. Survivors: her husband of 27 years, Bob Kono; two sisters, including Anni Leedy, ’72; and one brother.
Gwennyth Susannah Noroian Trice, ’67 (chemistry), MA ’68 (education), of Napa, Calif., August 21, of brain cancer. She worked as an educational researcher and curriculum developer before working as a math and chemistry tutor. Later, she taught math and chemistry part time at Napa High School for 16 years. Survivors: her husband, Tom, ’67; two daughters, Bronwen, ’99, and Megan; her mother, Gwennyth Noroian; two sisters; and one brother, George, ’78, MS ’79, MBA ’95.
1970s
John Kent McCormick, ’73 (English), of Redmond, Wash., November 24, at 56, of pancreatic cancer. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and a member of the football team. He earned his medical degree from USC in 1979, and completed his residency in orthopedics at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He also did a sports medicine fellowship with Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic. In 1985, he began his orthopedic surgery practice in Redmond, where he remained for 22 years. Survivors: his wife, Ann (Crary, ’75); three daughters, Kinsey, ’03, Kerry and Meghan; one son, Johnny, ’09; his mother, Marguerite; one sister; and one brother.
Carib Miles Nelson, ’79 (biological sciences), MS ’84 (engineering), of Medina, Wash., December 15, at 50, of stomach cancer. He worked for an architect for several years before earning his master’s degree in engineering. As a product designer, he invented and received a patent for a prosthetic hand. With his wife, he spent two years volunteering in Indonesia with VIA, and returned to work there again in the late 1990s. His 18-year career in international public health with PATH in Seattle took him to remote places where he worked on safe injection and immunization programs. He helped design a pre-filled, non-reusable syringe currently in use throughout the developing world, worked on appropriate health technology, and helped persuade the World Health Organization to develop a cold chain policy to maintain vaccine viability. Survivors: his wife of 21 years, Sarah (Voshall, ’81); two daughters, Katie and Hadley; his father, Miles; two sisters; and a brother.
1990s
Jason Grant Gladden, ’97 (geological and environmental sciences), of Lake Arrowhead, Calif., December 31, at 32. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity and a member of the football and wrestling teams. He was director of operations at Style Craft Marketing, a graphic communications company in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Survivors: his parents, Bill and Dawn; one brother; and his grandmother.
2000s
Rhiannon Adams Meier, ’02 (feminist studies and communication), of Los Angeles, December 8, at 28, in a car accident caused by a drunken driver. At Stanford, she co-founded and directed Urban Styles, a jazz and hip-hop dance group. She was a Dollie and performed with the Band in the 2000 Rose Bowl Parade. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and of Stanford’s Cardinal Class Core. After graduation, she worked for Motion Picture Corporation of America, MGM, Blue Star Productions and, most recently, Red Wagon Studios, where she was vice president for development. She was active with Stanford in Entertainment. Survivors: her parents, Marie Adams Dolembo and Matthew Meier; her stepfather, Tom Dolembo; one sister; one stepbrother; two grandmothers; and one grandfather.
Business
Walter G. Phillips, MBA ’50, of Levittown, Pa., November 19, at 85. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Drexel U. and served in the Army during World War II. While at Stanford, he sang with the Stanford Chorus. After graduating from Stanford, he taught accounting at Drexel for two years before joining Wolf & Co. in Philadelphia. In 1954 he joined Jim Blanchard’s Levittown Window Mart, and in 1955 he became head of the accounting department at the Bristol Courier. He remained there until 1966. In 1968, he started with American Dredging Co., and in 1973 went to Y&Y Snacks, which was later bought out by Nabisco. He was active in religious organizations, and served as a trustee and trustee emeritus for Brandywine Summit Camp Meeting. His wife of 31 years, Margaret, predeceased him. Survivors: his wife of 19 years, Lucille; two sons, George and Paul; and three grandchildren.
Calvin Morns Holman, MBA ’56, of Scottsdale, Ariz., December 28, at 76, in a car accident. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard. He served as a Republican legislator from 1975 to 1985 in what was then Legislative District 24 in North Phoenix, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, Ariz. He also served as chair for the district. He was an active member of the Phoenix Stanford Chapter. Survivors: his wife of 51 years, Margaret Elizabeth (Jordan, ’53); one son, Calvin Mark; and one daughter, Mary.
William Henry Barnes, MBA ’60, of Ashland, Ore., December 26, at 75, of a brain tumor. He attended Duke U. and earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern U. He served in the Air Force. He operated a financial firm, Barnes, Stork & Associates, in Menlo Park, and served as a deacon and elder at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church for nearly 40 years. He was active in civic and religious organizations, including serving as president and vice president of the Menlo Park Kiwanis Club. Survivors: his wife, Dorie; two daughters, Patricia Hecht and Elizabeth; one son, Jeffrey; and three grandchildren.
Earth Sciences
Edmund Z. Chang, PhD ’86 (geology), of Palo Alto, November 12, at 72. Born Zhang Zhimeng in Beijing, he was among the first Chinese scientists to travel to a Western country to study following the Cultural Revolution in China in the 1960s. He returned to China in 1986 and was a senior investigator at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. He worked for British Petroleum from 1986 to 1989. He returned to Stanford in 1990 as a consulting professor and research associate in geological and environmental sciences. Survivors: his wife, Sheila Chang (Zhang Taoshi); two daughters, Grace and Alison; and his father, Zhang Pei-ru.
Education
Nancy Lou Hemphill Pitsch, Gr. ’46 (health education), of Sacramento, December 13, at 86, of a heart condition and pneumonia. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physical education from the U. of Texas-Austin and worked as a physical education teacher for several years. She worked in Los Angeles and Sacramento as a physical therapist and was the director of physical therapy for both the Easter Seal Society and the UC Medical Center. After retiring, she worked part time for Timberlake Physical Therapy, led physical fitness classes for patients with breast cancer and starred in an exercise video for seniors called Moving with Nancy. Her sons, Richard and Stephen and two grandchildren predeceased her. Survivors: three daughters, Jennifer Tachera, Eileen Scott and Denise; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a sister.
Robert E. Swenson, EDD ’49, of Santa Cruz, Calif., December 31. He graduated from Cornell U. in 1939 and earned a master’s degree from Columbia U. He served in the Navy during World War II. His career was in community college administration, and he was a leader in the California public community college movement. In 1959 he achieve his dream of starting a public community college. For the next 18 years, he was founding president of Cabrillo College, a local institution with a present enrollment of 14,000. He left Cabrillo in 1977 and served as executive director of the Western Association of Colleges and Schools, an accrediting body for community colleges. Survivors: his wife, Frances; six children, including Bruce, ’64, and Mary, ’67; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a sister.
William Nixon Wurzburg, EDS ’63, of Petaluma, Calif. He served in the Air Force and earned his bachelor’s degree from CSU-Chico. He joined the Petaluma School District in 1963 as principal of Penngrove Elementary. He was involved in the design of Cherry Valley Elementary and was the school’s first principal. He later worked at Kenilworth Junior High as the afternoon principal and served as assistant superintendent of schools of Petaluma for several years. After, he was principal of McNear Elementary for 15 years. He was active in civic and recreational organizations, including serving as volunteer deputy fish and game warden and as a member of the board of the Petaluma Water Commission for eight years. Survivors: his wife of 50 years, Hildy (Strothmann, ’55, MA ’56); two daughters, Michelle and Heidi; and four grandchildren.
Sally Valente Kiester, MA ’76, EDD ’92, of Pittsburgh, December 19, at 70, of leukemia. She earned her undergraduate degree at the U. of the Philippines. She served on the Stanford faculty and as marketing director for the School of Engineering’s international program. She was a founding member of the International Association for Continuing Engineering Education and served on the California Commission for Curriculum Standards in foreign language instruction. She was president of the United Nations Association Midpeninsula Chapter in Palo Alto and received the UNA’s highest distinction. She also served as president of the Sister Cities International Palo Alto branch. She co-founded the International Visitors Committee of Palo Alto, which gave weekly parties to international visitors. With her husband, she wrote 18 books, including the Better Homes and Gardens New Baby Book. Survivors: her husband of 43 years, Edwin; four sons, William Kiester and Michael, Robert and Richard Kennewick; four grandchildren; and a sister.
Engineering
Jack Mathew Thompson, MS ’58 (industrial engineering), of Sacramento, November 26, at 83, of Parkinson’s disease. He earned his bachelor’s degree from West Point and an MBA from CSU-Sacramento. He spent 21 years in the Army Corps of Engineers. After retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1968, he went to work as a budget analyst for the Sacramento County executive office, where he remained until 1983. Two daughters, Randi and Kathy, predeceased him. Survivors: his wife of 60 years, Rose; three daughters, Karen Monadjem, Susan Day, and Lisa Bartram; eight grandchildren; two great-granddaughters; and a sister.
Roy Charles Amara, PhD ’58 (electrical engineering), of Portola Valley, December 31, at 82. He earned his bachelor’s degree from MIT and served in the Navy during World War II. In 1949 he earned his master’s degree in teaching science from Harvard, and for three years he worked as a physics, algebra and geometry teacher at Sequoia Union High School in Redwood City. In 1952 he joined Stanford Research Institute, working on the development of the computer ERMA and becoming vice president of Institute programs. He established a continuing program of interactive computing and initiated a decision analysis group with faculty from Stanford’s engineering and economic systems department. In 1971, he became a founding member, president and CEO of Institute for the Future in Palo Alto. He led the institute through 1990, heading one of the first studies of global climate change in 1977 and establishing IFTF’s annual Ten Year Forecast, now in its 35th year. He retired in 1992 but remained president emeritus, senior research fellow and adviser. He also worked from 1992 to 1997 with the Strategic Decisions Group. He published nearly 40 articles in scientific journals and co-authored two books, Looking Ahead at American Health Care and Business Planning for an Uncertain Future. Survivors: his wife of 58 years, Margaret; two sons, Mark and Dirk; one daughter, Christine; and five grandchildren.
Humanities and Sciences
Ralph K. White, PhD ’37 (psychology), of Cockeysville, Md., December 25, at 100, of a stroke. He was an advocate of realistic empathy in foreign affairs, and among the first people to analyze how underlying psychological causes and misunderstandings can lead nations to engage in warfare. He graduated from Wesleyan U. and later taught there as well as at Stanford, Ohio State U. and Cornell U. In 1947, he worked for three years with the Foreign Broadcast Information Service, then part of the CIA, evaluating the psychological implications of Voice of America broadcasts overseas. He later did similar work with the State Department. From 1954 to 1964, he was chief of the Soviet bloc division of the U.S. Information Agency. He became a professor at George Washington U. in 1964, became professor emeritus in 1973 and continued teaching in that capacity until 1980. He wrote many papers between 1931 and 2004 and was the author or editor of four books, including Fearful Warriors. He was president of the Psychologist for Social Responsibility, the International Society of Political Psychology and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. He received the Kurt Lewin Memorial Award of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues in 1969 and the Nevitt Sanford Award of the International Society of Political Psychology in 1986. His second wife, Elizabeth, third wife, Elisabeth, and his daughter, Dorothy, all predeceased him. Survivors include a son, Stephen.
Frank C. Child, MA ’47, PhD ’54 (economics), of Santa Cruz, Calif., January 25, at 86, of congestive heart failure. He earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the U. of Utah and served in the Army during World War II, earning a Bronze Star. He taught at Williams College, Pomona College and Michigan State U. before taking a position as economic adviser to the South Vietnamese government in 1958. A 1960 coup attempt forced him to leave the country. Later, he taught at Stanford before joining UC-Davis, where he chaired the economics department from 1963 until 1980 and led efforts to establish the city of Davis’ signature bikeway system—the nation’s first system of bicycle lanes. He was dean of the school of social services at UC-Santa Cruz from 1983 until 1987. His wife, Eve, predeceased him. Survivors: two daughters, Suzanne Dawson and Tracy Phillips; and two sons, Charles and Matthew.
Joseph E. R. Carrier, MA ’56 (economics), of Menlo Park, January 11, at 80. He served in the Navy before and after graduating from Boston U. He worked as an economist at SRI International. Survivors: his wife of 50 years, Kathleen (Mackin, ’50, MA ’58); four sons, Stephen, Michael, Paul and Robert; one daughter, Suzanne; four grandchildren; and a sister.
Lewis Albion Parker, MS ’63 (chemistry), of Glastonbury, Conn., January 1, at 70, of Parkinson’s disease. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. He was a founding member of both the Glastonbury United State Junior Chamber (Jaycees) and the ABC House, serving as president of the latter for two years. A Better Chance (ABC) is a national residential program enabling minority youth to obtain access to a better education. He was a member of the Glastonbury Board of Education for five years and was active in religious organizations. Survivors: his wife of 45 years, Barbara; two daughters, Laura and Julie; six grandchildren; and a brother.
Henry R. “Hank” Harrington, MA ’68, PhD ’71 (English), of Missoula, Mont., January 6, at 64, in a canoeing accident. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Williams College. He became an assistant professor of English at the U. of Montana and served as department chair from 1987 to 1992. He transferred to the environmental studies department and taught classes in environmental literature. With the chair of that department, he founded the Environmental Writing Institute. Later, he retired and became a woodworker. He was active in several civic organizations. He met his wife of 39 years, Ann “Nancy,” when she worked as dean’s assistant at Stanford. Nancy died in the accident, as well. Survivors: two daughters, Sarah Schram and Emily.
